Overview & Reviews

Owned by General Motors, Buick is one of this country's oldest brands, with a rich tradition of innovation that dates back more than a century. Though long known for catering to retirement-age customers with its full-size sedans, the automaker's lineup now includes SUVs and sport sedans designed to bring younger buyers into the showrooms of Buick dealers.

The company was founded in 1903 by David Dunbar Buick, a Scottish industrialist. He built his first car in 1904; called the Model B, it had a two-cylinder engine with an advanced-for-its-time overhead-valve cylinder head design. In 1907, Buick unveiled its first four-cylinder production car, dubbed the Model D. The following year, the Flint, Michigan-based Buick Motor Company was bought by William C. Durant as part of a new company called General Motors. By 1914, all Buicks were built with six-cylinder engines and purchased primarily by upper-class professionals, thus earning the nickname "doctor's cars."

The manufacturer proved itself a trailblazer in the early 1920s when it introduced four-wheel brakes. This technology had been seen before on custom-built cars, but Buick was the first to figure out how to successfully apply it to mass-produced vehicles. Eight-cylinder Buick cars emerged in the 1930s and became immensely popular; these advanced engines received steady improvements for several years. The '30s also saw Buick's introduction of the industry's first rear turn signal to use a flasher.

Models such as the Estate Wagon and the ever-popular Roadmaster kept Buicks happily ensconced in driveways all across the nation in the 1940s. In 1948, Buick introduced Dynaflow, the first torque converter-type automatic transmission offered in U.S. passenger cars. The 1950s and 1960s witnessed Buick continuing to zoom ahead of the curve; it was among the first to offer vehicles with power brakes and steering, and 12-volt electrical systems. The marque was also behind the introduction of the first American V6 passenger car engine and introduced the Riviera personal luxury coupe in the early '60s.

On the whole, though, Buick had made its name as a manufacturer of stately land yachts such as the Electra 225. To meet the changing times, the automaker downsized its full- and midsize models during the 1970s and began offering compact and midsize sedans for the 1980s. During the latter period and into the '90s, Buick changed things up by introducing the Regal Grand National muscle car and Reatta luxury coupe and convertible. But its core product continued to be luxury sedans aimed at an older audience.

Today, Buick specializes in sedans and crossover SUVs and is modifying its philosophy in the hopes of attracting younger buyers. Luxury and class are still common themes, but newer models have European influences in their handling and ride dynamics. As such, many modern Buicks, such as the compact Verano sedan provide a more entertaining drive and more contemporary styling than people might expect from this "old" nameplate.

User Reviews:

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  No portholdes - 2011 Buick Regal
  By Richard - November 3 - 2:00 am

  Never liked portholes on cars - the Regal meets my criteria. Began looking for Japanese import but after driving the Regal, my search was over. Fit and finish are exceptional with upscale styling inside and out. Fun to drive and of course handles well. Warranty better than comparable imports. Plenty of power for me and Id guess for most drivers. Foreign imports in this price range have something to be concerned about.

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  Great touring vehicle - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By Tex - November 3 - 2:00 am

  Excellent cross country vehicle, the type you can drive in for twelve hours in a day. Very roomy with great legroom. Seats are very comfortable with great adjustable lumbar support. Controls are intuitive and well laid-out. Bose premium sound system is good. Bass is tight, but just adequate on response range. Extremely smooth ride with the quietest cabin I have ever encountered. Smooth acceleration and handling. On one hand, I had hoped for better fuel economy. On the other hand, this is a large, heavy vehicle with significant wind resistance. Cargo space is outstanding. Functioning of the laydown seats is great. Nice features. Great vehicle. Absolutely a keeper.

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  Lucerne - 2008 Buick Lucerne
  By buicklucerne - November 2 - 2:00 am

  For people complaining about the speedometer being hard to see in day light, turn the lights on. It really helps. My Lucerne has day running lamps so the exterior lighs are already on. Very nice a comfortable car.

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  Nice Car - 2011 Buick Regal
  By Thomas from NJ - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Comfy, Great handling, power, and MPG.

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  WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT - 2011 Buick LaCrosse
  By Jozie - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Unfortunately this vehicle DID NOT come close to meeting my expectations.. I find the ride to be very uncomfortable with a lot of LOUD road noise..bumps are taken roughly and loud..VERY ANNOYING, even the radio does not drown out the noise.. The interior design is done well although the plastic looks cheap both on the inside and outside of the care..storage space is limited.. blind spots both in the front and back of the vehicle make for difficult parking even with the backup warning device.. This purchase was a huge mistake..I was a prior Acura TL owner and should not have changed..

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  Been great, great motor & mileage - 2000 Buick LeSabre
  By Gary V - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car at auction with 119000 miles. Had this motor in GM vehicles before, love it. Car now has 192000 on it, motor runs like new, average over 25mpg combined not trying! Bad window motors but replacements avail for under $50 if DIYS. Comfortable, plenty of pep,auto everything, next car will be a Park Ave with same drivetrain if this car ever stops, no signs of that happening yet. Air ride system in rear leaked and pricy to fix, replaced with air shock kit, still rides great. AC still ice cold. great car, just style associated with older generation. Recommend to anyone who asks. Hope the 3.8 V6 continues to be utilized, I am a fan.

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  A Way To Go - 2011 Buick LaCrosse
  By Norman - October 31 - 2:00 am

  Touring ride not good enough, thus hit performance & comfort. Comfort: bad headrest, seat like old favorite recliner after about 1hr that sags, stuffing shifted. Center armrest? Poor lumbar support. Not enough bolster. Economy, not impressed, hoping it improves. Fun 2 drive, not with current seating & sway of vehicle. InteriorDesign: Seat/headrest, seat memory, storage poor-not enough, buggy Nav screen & sun hits it, malibu has speed sensitive wiper, distorted bass on HK, 3 BS = 0cupholder. Exterior: Looks real nice, but-mirror 2 tall, 19"tire poor rate, hit on suspension, rearcamera lite sensitv. BuildQuality: flaw on light assy, metal scratched before paint, 2 many negative ticks as above.

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  F/U Post after 11 months - 2010 Buick LaCrosse
  By RJP - October 30 - 2:00 am

  F/U review to one posted in January of this year. After almost 11 months of ownership I am still quite impressed with the vehicle. This is indeed a head turner and my family gets a kick out of watching people ogle the stylistic decor. In fact, just purchased a third car for my daughter today, and while not a LaCrosse, it was interesting to watch the sales staff walk around this car, as we stood by from afar, looking, pointing and talking amongst themselves. In fact, I requested the salesman not ‘sell my car’ while I took his for a test drive!

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  Lucerne is the Best - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Dave - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a large car with a soft confy ride on all roads. Glad I bought this car. Tons of room, seating for Fit and finish is great. I had a Lexus rice burner and truly prefer the Buick Lucerne Bigger and better

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  Should have read the Reviews - 2006 Buick Terraza
  By Kathy - October 27 - 2:00 am

  We traded in a Chrysler Town & Country Limited & we loved this vehicle it just had too many miles on it- liking the outside more SUV look of the Buick Terazza I purchased this one with 12,000 miles on it--- Everything I read now in the bad reviews is what I have problem with. Everything rattles- back seats are uncomfortable and cramped- slow to start, stalls. Service stabilation light comes on & steering freezes, clunking in front end dealer says there is nothing wrong with either, the transmission jumps when shifting. The worst is I cannot rely on the fuel gage that tells how many miles till empty- Twice I ran out of gas with 61 miles to go and the low fuel light didnt come on-